Music-sheet turner.



G. L. RICKARD.

MUSIC SHEET TURNER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12. 1914. RENEWED DEC. 15.1915.

1,190,462. Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WMQQAZ: GEORGE LLBICKARD W r a. M flHozvun G. LJRICKARD.

MUSIC SHEET TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 12. 1914. RENEWED DEC. 15. 1915.

1,1 90,462. 1 Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHKETS-SHEET 2.

\ lwuemtoz W/ H GEO GE'LI. cKARD ZW @W G. L. RlCKARD.

MUSIC SHEET TURNER.

APPLICATION man n:c.12. m4. RENEWED 05c. Is. 1915.

Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 A avwwto'z Geo ass L. RICKA RD UNITED STATES PATENTorrron.

GEORGE L. RICKARD, OF WEST FAIRVIEW, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSIC-SHEET TURNER.

Application filed December 12, 1914, Serial No. 876,890. RenewedDecember 15, 1915.

T 0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE L. RIOKARD, acitizen of the United States, residing at West F airview, in the countyof Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Music-Sheet Turners, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved music sheet turner, and has forits primary object to provide a simple and eflicient mechanism forsingly turning music sheets, so that the operator need not remove hishands from the musical instrument.

The invention has for another and more particular object to produce adevice of the above character which is particularly designed for use inconnection with pianos, the same including a plurality of sheet turningmembers mounted upon the front wall of the piano case, and mechanismarranged within the case for successively actuating said members.

The invention has for a further object to provide a music turnerconsisting of a minimum number of elements, whereby the same is renderedvery reliable and positive in its operation and capable of manufactureat comparatively small cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in thespecification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure1 is a front elevation of a piano provided with my improved musicturning attachment; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section; Fig. 3 is a rearelevation; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 isa section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a detail perspectiveview. of one of the music sheet carriers; and Fig. 7 is a similar viewof the arm actuating element.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the front wall of thepiano case in which a vertically extending opening indi cated at 6is'formed. At one side of this opening a bearing bracket 7 is suitablysecured to the case wall. This bracket in- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

Serial No. 67,083.

cludes upper and lower parallel portions 8 and a vertical connecting bar9. In the portions 8 of said bracket, the opposite ends of a verticallydisposed rod or axis 10 are fixed. Upon this axis a plurality of pinions11 are loosely mounted, and between said pinions the spacing plates 12are arranged, said plates being notched at one of their ends as at 13 toreceive the vertical bar 9 of the bearing bracket. To each of thepinions 11 a horizontally extending rod or arm 14: is secured at one ofits ends. These arms are disposed in different planes and upon the samea music sheet clip, generally indicated by the numeral 15 is arranged.This clip consists of two clamping plates, the ends of which areprovided with perforated ears through which the rod 11 extends. A shortcoil spring 16 is arranged upon the rod and bears at its ends againstthe opposed clamping plates so as to normally and yieldingly hold thelower ends of said plates in engagement with each other. This music clipmay, be shifted to any desired position along the rod 14 in order toproperly engage and clamp the upper edge of the music sheet at thedesired point.

Upon the inner face of the front wall of the piano case, spaced bracketplates 17 are suitably secured. A pivot bolt 18 is secured in theseplates and upon said bolt a series of levers are loosely mounted. Eachof these levers includes a long arm 19 and a rela tively short inwardlyprojecting arm 20. Spacing disks or washers 21 are arranged upon thepivot bolt 18 between said levers. To the outer end of each of the longlever arms 19 one end of a rod 22 is loosely connected. The other end ofeach of said rods is suitably secured to a rack bar 23 which ex tendsthrough the opening 6 in the front wall of the piano case. The teeth ofthis rack bar engage with the teeth of one of the pinions 11 and operateto rotate said pinion and throw the sheet carrying rod, as will be fullyunderstood from the following description.

Between the bracket plates 17 one end of a horizontally disposed arm 21is pivotally mounted as at 25. Upon the other end of this arm a taperinglongitudinally curved plate 26 is pivotally secured by means of the pin27. This plate is formed upon its pivoted end with a depending lug 28,to which one end of the curved bar 29 is pivotally connected as at 30.The smaller end of the plate 26 is formed with a shoulder indicated at31 which is adapted to engage with the short arms 20 of the levers abovereferred to. The bar 29 has a vertically disposed arm 32 formed upon itsother end which is located upon the opposite sides of the lever arms 20with respect to the plate 26. In the lower edge of the bar 29 andadjacent to the vertical arm 32 thereon a notch 33 is formed. In thisnotch the free end of a leaf spring 34 is engaged, the other end of saidspring being suitably fixed to one of the bracket plates 17. In suitablebearings 35 mounted upon one of the end walls of the piano case avertically disposed rod 36 is rotatably mounted. This rod is providedadjacent to its upper and lower ends with the laterally extending arms37. The upper arm is connected by means of a rod 38 to the end of thearm as which is mounted between the bracket plates 17. Upon theunderside of the piano keyboard, a suitable operating lever 38 ispivotally mounted at a point intermediate of its ends. This leverextending outwardly beyond the keyboard is equipped with a plate 39suitably formed to receive the knee of the operator. This plate may beprovided with a strap if desired to encircle the leg of the operator.The inner end of the lever 38 is connected by means of a rod 4:0 to thelower arm 37 on the vertical rod 36. One end of a coil spring ll is alsoconnected to this inner end of the operating lever and has its other endsuitably secured to the lower bearing 34; or other stationary part.

Having above described the construction and arrangement of the severalelements of my invention, its operation will be understood as follows:The lower edges of the music sheet clips 15 extend to differentdistances below the respective rods or arms 1% so that they may beproperly clamped upon the upper edges of the several sheets of musicwhich are arranged upon the usual desk or support on the front wall ofthe piano case. hen it is desired to turn one of the music sheets, theoperator, by means of his knee, throws the outer end of the lever 39 tothe left. The vertical rod 36 is thus rotated in its bearings andthrough the medium of the connecting rod 37, the arm 25 is shifted andthe shoulder 32 on the end of the plate 26 engaged with the upper leverarm 20. This lever is thus moved upon the pivot bolt 18 and its longerarm thrown outwardly to shift the rack bar 23. The upper pinion 11 isthus rotated and the upper arm 14- carrying the music sheet thrown overto the left. In this movement of the plate 26, the bar 29 connected tosaid plate is, of course, also moved to the right and the spring 33placed under tension. Upon the release of pressure on the outer end ofthe lever 38, said spring acts to return the bar 29 and plate 26 totheir normal positions. This operation is repeated to successively turnthe several sheets of music. When all of the music sheets have thus beenturned and it is desired to repeat the music, the operator shifts theouter end of the lever 38 to the right so that the upstanding arm 31 onthe bar 29 will engage the short lever arms 20 and simultaneously movethe same to throw all the music carrying arms 1 L over to the right andreturn the same to their original positions.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawm s, the construction, manner of operation,

and several advantages of my invention will be clearly and fullyunderstood. It will be appreciated that I have produced an extremelysimple and convenient mechanism whereby the musician may turn the musicsheets without removing his hands from the piano keyboard. The mechanismis also very positive and reliable in operation and owing to the fewparts employed in its construction, is not liable to get out of order.The device occupies but little space within the piano case and may bereadily applied to pianos of the present construction withoutnecessitating any material alterations therein. It will, of course, bemanifest that any desired number of the arm throwing levers may beprovided, and the manner of mount ing said levers as well as the form,construction, and arrangement of the parts which cooperate therewith,may be variously modified within the scope of my invention. It willtherefore be understood that, while I have illustrated and described thepresent preferred embodiment of the device, the same is, nevertheless,susceptible of various minor alterations therein and I therefore reservethe privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may beembodied Within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In a sheet turning mechanism, sheet carrying arms, a series of pinionsto which the respective arms are secured, racks cooperating with therespective pinions, a series of levers each having arms extending atright angles to each other, said racks being connected to one of thelever arms, a pivotally mounted arm, a plate pivoted upon said arm atone of its ends and provided with a shoulder on its other end to engagethe other arms of said levers, a bar pivotally connected to said sivelyengage the shoulder on said plate With the latter arms of said firstnamed levers to turn the sheets, said vertical extension on said barbeing adapted for engagement with the lever arms when the movement ofsaid pivoted arm is reversed to simultaneously return the sheets totheir normal positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftWo Witnesses.

GEO. L. RIOKARD.

Witnesses GEORG H. HORNING, PAUL L. BENDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

